An In-Depth Overview of Astronaut’s Experience during the Hubble Launch

Dr. Steven Hawley, a former astronaut working with NASA is among the crew credited with launching the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990. Their efforts were crucial to the understanding of space, its contents, and sheer size. Up to date, the exact distance that makes up the universe is unknown since the Hubble, the biggest sky-high observatory only discovered up to 94 billion light-years.

An Astronaut’s Journey

Dr. Steven Hawley is currently a professor of astronomy and physics teaching at the University of Kansas. He is also an engineering physics director. The path to becoming an astronaut on a mission to launch the world’s first optical space telescope was not straightforward to him in the beginning.

He stated that it took much of being at the right place at the right moment. Even after being selected to join NASA after applying while studying for his Ph.D. the opportunity to fly in a shuttle was not obvious.

The Kansas University professor decided to apply for the job after viewing the advert on the university’s bulletin board. He has been studying for his Ph.D. at the prestigious University of California. After applying for the chance in 1977, unknowingly, Dr. Steven started on the path towards going to space.

When he was first hired, he and other applicants were hired as astronaut candidates. They would then undergo strict training and complete evaluation over a two-year period. Those that were successful joined the organization and quickly dropped the candidacy title.

Dr. Steven joined NASA after the two years probationary period and waited almost another three years for his first space mission. In February of 1983, he went on his first space mission and facilitated the Hubble launch almost seven years later.

Space Mission Preparation

In an interview, the professor explained the different aspects of the preparation before an actual mission. He stated that it took time attending classes, training using simulators, and going for physical training courses as well.

Dr. Steven needed to be trained on flying jets since he had never flown any particular craft before. For the director of engineering physics, the transition from classroom sessions to flying and simulator cockpits was an exciting experience.

Within the course, he and other trainees were shown what and how everything works in the cockpit. The step was vital to help them understand how to operate during the launch and entry after a mission. He also stated that they learned that the cockpit is controlled by a three-person crew. These are the pilot, commander, and the shuttle’s flight engineer.

On-Mission Experiences

For all the missions that Dr. Hawley was on, he was the flight engineer. He stated that he enjoyed the rare opportunity. His primary job was helping the commander and pilot through procedures such as the ascent and entry. He was tasked with ensuring that things were fixed in case of any problems throughout such procedures.

For his two most known missions, the Hubble launching and maintenance mission, Dr. Hawley was a flight engineer but also the primary robot arms guide. During the launch, he had to carefully lift the telescope from the shuttle payload bay to facilitate its release. Although it sounds straightforward, the job was fairly challenging.

With no fitted collision avoidance intelligence, he was basically to prevent any accidents manually. Among his concerns was ensuring the space telescope did not crash into their orbiter. While he had displayed to show the position and orientation of the telescope, he would also look outside the orbiter’s window to guide the telescope.

A Detailed Experience Living in a Zero Gravity Environment

Dr. Hawley understands that people need this critical question answered. Without experience, we may all rely on his explanation for future references when discussing zero gravity. He told Betway Casino that the experience was not as euphoric as people imagine it to be. For one, he stated that weightlessness affects the efficiency of the astronauts as they try to complete tasks.

He also stated that while people think the experience is enjoyable, the effects of zero gravity are significant. Some people experience reactions like nausea. Fortunately for Dr. Hawley, he never suffered nausea. He however had both backache and headache during the period of some of the missions.

Without gravity, the crew gets less work done in a specific set period.

When planning their in-flight schedule, they would time how long it would take them to do a task on earth. They would then add about 50 percent extra time accounting for the weightlessness in the orbiter. Other than the symptoms and lower efficiency, the crewmates also factored in the distraction time.

Because of the beautiful earth’s landscape, Dr. Hawley would always stop working to simply appreciate the view. Although impressed by several things including the aerial view of the earth, the professor was quite impressed by NASA’s training.

He stated that the level of simulator realism was unmatched giving him an easier time becoming accustomed to the experience.

Final Thoughts

On earth, there are various things that stand out such as stars. Other unique features that stand out in everyday life include people with distinct qualities. For instance, the tallest soccer player in the world has rewritten soccer history because of standing out.

Daniel Muller, a German goalkeeper is among the tallest in the sport towering at a whopping 6 foot 9 inches. He did two stints at Bayern Munich but was never placed with the first team.